Offcials Change Room Registration

Christopher Payne, director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education, said lottery numbers have been eliminated and that the registration process has been shortened to four days. In past years, students have been allowed to reapply for housing contracts during the entire month of March.

This year, students wishing to remain in their current rooms must register online between 6 a.m. March 19 and 11:59 p.m. March 20.

Residents who want to move to a different room, either in the same residential area or a new one, must apply from 6 a.m. March 22 to 11:59 p.m. March 23.

Payne said the changes aim to simplify a process that some students have found confusing in the past.

"We took a look at the feedback we were getting from students," he said. "The main change from last year with the online application is the splitting of the same-room and different-room times."

Payne said the new format will enable the housing department to know exactly which rooms are available by the time students begin applying for switches.

A second major change is that room assignments will no longer be handed out based on a lottery system.

Rooms will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis by academic classification, starting with graduate students and ending with freshmen.

For example, Payne said, a junior who applies at 6 a.m. March 22 will be assigned before a sophomore who applies at 6:30 a.m. but after a senior who applies at 6:30 a.m.

"A lot of activity will probably occur early, but you don't have to go (online) that early (to get a room)," he said. "We will try to accommodate the requests to the best of our ability."

If no rooms are available in a requested residence hall, the housing department will attempt to place students in a nearby residence hall, Payne said.

If that is not possible, officials will try to place students within their current areas but will probably not be able to reassign students to their current rooms.

"If you have vacated (your room) and then later decide you want to return, someone else may have the assignment," Payne said.

Payne acknowledged that certain students have special circumstances, which he said will be dealt with on an individual basis.

Students are encouraged to contact their area directors or visit http://housing.unc.edu/Recontracting.html if they have questions about the new process, Payne said.

"This is a really important decision for (the students') time here at Carolina, and we respect that."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.